Help me coyote hunt

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  • Mattroth54

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    Mar 23, 2013
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    With deer wrapping up, I’m going to make an effort to thin the growing coyote herd over the next several months. I don’t know what I’m doing and would welcome any advice. My plan, which sounds fun, is to climb into a deer tower blind positioned on edge of field at night. I have a friend that will join with tech skills planning on building a remote rabbit decoy. I plan to add a call, spotlight, and ar15 to the mix. Am I on right track? I know spotlights and guns can get sideways with regulations, but it also looks like spotlights are legal for coyote hunting. Clear as mud there. I hope to soon add to the 2019 coyote counter thread.
     

    patience0830

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    Nov 3, 2008
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    Not far from the tree
    You must have a continuously burning light on you while you hunt coyotes at night. I have a small green led Streamlight that clips to a pocket that I use. Red spotlight spooks fewer dogs and you'll regret buying a cheap one. Thermal is the berries, from what I hear but out of my price range. FoxPro calls are nice and they sell decoys that mount to the call. Personally, I like an old camera tripod to mount the call. Gets it up a little bit and carries farther/more visibility distance for the decoy.
     

    jagee

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    Jan 19, 2013
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    I'd like to get in to coyote hunting. Killed one last year while deer hunting, but have never been out specifically looking for coyotes.
     

    Mattroth54

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    Sound like I’m on right track. There’s two sets of verbiage in the Indiana regs regarding spotlight use that seem to conflict each other:

    Spotlights may be used to take fox and coyote.

    It is illegal to shine a spotlight, searchlight or other artificial light for the purpose of taking, attempting to take or assisting another person to take a deer, or to shine such a light while in possession of a firearm, bow or crossbow.

    It appears as long as I don’t shine the light while in position of firearm I’m good. Just use it as a club?
     

    Onebad06vtx

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    Mar 9, 2013
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    No shining from a vehicle!
    Spotlights are legal for predator hunting but I have way better luck with night vision.
    You must have a light on all the time in the field but it only has to be visable at 500 yards.
    Where are you located?
     

    mom45

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    Nov 10, 2013
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    It is also legal to bait so if you get permits and pick up roadkill deer, those can help draw them in.

    As it gets colder, they start hitting the bait piles more regularly.
     

    Rookie

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    OP, your plan probably won't be very successful. Typically, coyote hunting is multiple stands that last 30-45 minutes. Sitting on the edge of a field will encourage them to use the woods as cover to investigate. We set up 200-300 yards in the field and try to call them out of the woods.
     

    mom45

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    OP, your plan probably won't be very successful. Typically, coyote hunting is multiple stands that last 30-45 minutes. Sitting on the edge of a field will encourage them to use the woods as cover to investigate. We set up 200-300 yards in the field and try to call them out of the woods.


    The 16 that were taken here last winter were all taken from the same elevated stand. I'm sure baiting helped but all were shot from the same location.

    We have another farm that hubby is hunting this year. Seeing lots of activity on the cameras there so it looks promising so far.
     

    Jaybird1980

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    Foxpro, Primos, Predator Quest. I suggest getting one with a wireless controller. And a couple mouth calls to break their focus when they get hung up and won't come in. Also don't overlook a shotgun for night hunts, we usually hunt in pairs, one with shotgun the other with rifle
     

    Rookie

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    https://www.amazon.com/Primos-Hunti...alpha+dogg&dpPl=1&dpID=51hEdfh2vJL&ref=plSrch

    I used this last year and liked it. I'd still be using it, but my wife was kind enough to get me a Foxpro Shockwave. The only negative I have is that it really likes new batteries. When the batteries get low, you get some distortion in the speakers. Coyotes didn't seem to care, but it bugged me. I'd suggest getting rechargeable batteries and keep them topped off after every hunt.
     

    Rookie

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    Foxpro, Primos, Predator Quest. I suggest getting one with a wireless controller. And a couple mouth calls to break their focus when they get hung up and won't come in. Also don't overlook a shotgun for night hunts, we usually hunt in pairs, one with shotgun the other with rifle

    Personally, we don't carry a shotgun. Since we can see them coming from a mile away, we never have them get within shotgun range.
     

    Jaybird1980

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    Personally, we don't carry a shotgun. Since we can see them coming from a mile away, we never have them get within shotgun range.

    Do you hunt mostly open fields, I noticed he stated a stand on the edge of field, so I figured woods nearby. We kill far more in wooded areas with shotgun over rifle. I prefer rifle, just not in the woods.
     
    Last edited:

    Rookie

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    We hunt only in open fields. I don't know how well thermal would do in the woods, especially my thermal.
     

    Mattroth54

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    Mar 23, 2013
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    Op here. This is 80 acres. 8 of tillable open field surrounded by fairly rugged wooded hills with trails and a few small clearings/food plots. Lots of options. I’m game for whatever is most effective to kill some of these things. I mentioned the tower blinds around the field because they’re already there and already outfitted with chairs, shelves, etc. Fully furnished. I’m also totally open to working in the woods via the trails or clearings.
     
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    Oct 3, 2008
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    On a hill in Perry C
    One thing about spotlights, even red ones. Don't shine it directly at the yote, instead try to keep the center of the beam slightly above ground level where you hit them with just the halo. I've had more than one spook right now when hit dead in the eyes with a red light. I tried putting a small dot on the lens to eliminate the intense center spot but that caused other problems so now I just scan with the light slightly high.
     

    JoeG1

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    Aug 6, 2016
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    Get on YouTube and start watching videos, you will be amazed at what you can learn. Watch several different peoples channels as you will pick something different up from different people. Get on some coyote hunting facebook pages as well, pay attention to the comments made. Don't be afraid to comment yourself and ask questions. Then go out and start applying what you have learned, you will have a blast figuring it out.
     

    Mattroth54

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    Get on YouTube and start watching videos, you will be amazed at what you can learn. Watch several different peoples channels as you will pick something different up from different people. Get on some coyote hunting facebook pages as well, pay attention to the comments made. Don't be afraid to comment yourself and ask questions. Then go out and start applying what you have learned, you will have a blast figuring it out.

    Uhh thanks. I hope whatever you wanted in the classifieds is still there.
     
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